So many "young' people so involved with their cell phone and Twitter "social media" junk while driving that theydon't pay attention to what they're doing as they cruise down the roads, dangers to themselves, and to US.

That trend is more prevalent today, than were the drunk drivers of years gone by.

So many "young' people so involved with their cell phone and Twitter "social media" junk while driving that theydon't pay attention to what they're doing as they cruise down the roads, dangers to themselves, and to US.

That trend is more prevalent today, than were the drunk drivers of years gone by.

Not only more prevalent, but it's as socially acceptable as drunk driving was 50 years ago, when Foster Brooks and Dean Martin made good livings playing lovable drunks, and rednecks bragged about drinking a case of beer and "cleanin' out both ditches goin' home, buddy!"

Drunk driving isn't acceptable or celebrated any more, but demented driving-while-texting is considered necessary enough to result in thousands of dead people on the roads every year ....

“The people our age think we’re really good riders and we don’t take (safety) courses,” said Havens, 73, of Springfield. “And the bikes are bigger now than what I rode in the ’70s — bigger, faster, with more acceleration.”

And that's why I sold my 100 hp bike and went back to a sedate 55 hp machine built in the 70's. These days when someone passes me, I still whack open the throttle to give chase, but nothing happens !

40 years ago the mantra was don't use the front brake it'll pitch ya over the handlebars, if your in trouble you got to lay it down. Unfortunately too many people still believe this. Was following 2 guy on big baggers when the light changed. One guy locked up his rear brake and flopped over right in front of me. He wasn't going fast and wasn't hurt but it ruined his pretty paint job. Needs to be some sort of mandatory retraining after a number of years of not owning a bike, could cross reference to see if you had a licensed bike with DMV.I had to take a safe riding course after a 30 year hiatus as I had let my classification lapse. Glad I did, I learned a lot including how important front brake was.

So many "young' people so involved with their cell phone and Twitter "social media" junk while driving that theydon't pay attention to what they're doing as they cruise down the roads, dangers to themselves, and to US.

That trend is more prevalent today, than were the drunk drivers of years gone by.

Not only more prevalent, but it's as socially acceptable as drunk driving was 50 years ago, when Foster Brooks and Dean Martin made good livings playing lovable drunks, and rednecks bragged about drinking a case of beer and "cleanin' out both ditches goin' home, buddy!"

Drunk driving isn't acceptable or celebrated any more, but demented driving-while-texting is considered necessary enough to result in thousands of dead people on the roads every year ....

Lannis

I saw this at 2008 Vintage Motorcycle Days, old school bus converted to race truck

[i]"National statistics on motorcycle fatalities show a curious trend: Whereas in 1975, 80 percent of motorcycle fatalities involved riders 29 years old or younger, now the age group with the most fatalities is 50 and older, at 35 percent, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, a nonprofit highway safety research group funded by auto insurance companies. Ninety-one percent of those killed in 2015 were male."

Well I have to say that the group getting killed today might contain some of the surviving members of the group of motorcyclists getting killed in 1975!

Seriously, tho...All in all, she makes some valid points, some of which are good for life in general for older people- one of which is that we need to stay in shape. The other valid point she makes is that each of us- those who return to motorcycling, and yes, those of us who never left - could benefit from a safety course or some training. Illinois is one of 2 states that offer free Motorcycle safety course, paid for by funds from MC licensing. Pennsylvania is the other. Training is SO important for so many aspects of say, the work world, the military, for people whose lives and jobs are changing periodically or constantly evolving. Motorcycling is no different, in fact things have changed so drastically in the realm of motorcycles themselves, and in the realm of what others are doing around us riders. Roads are bigger and busier than ever, drivers have more distractions than ever. SO where is the argument against taking a safety training course? HMMM? I took PA's free course back in 1988 or sometime way back when, after a lifetime of being on bikes (with absolutely zero training of any kind, BTW). I had never gone so far as to actually get licensed for operating a bike, so part of my reason for taking the course was that if you pass it, you are granted a MC classification for your motor vehicle operator's license. I would have never believed it prior to taking the course but I actually learned a LOT! Pretty sure they offer an advanced course and it is my intention to take it. Track days are also beneficial for us street riders, and I would love to take one of my bikes onto a track sometime under. instruction.

SO, stay in shape and get that safety course under your belt. Stay hydrated and stay safe. And I'll see you on the road somewhere.

Last edited by ricochetrider; 10/25/1712:22 pm.

"It is no measure of health, to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society."

"Barnes said older riders should sign up for gym memberships, as well as motorcycle training, since even sedate riding is a very physical activity and riders need to be in shape."

This is something I didn't know. I've never thought of street riding as very physical at all.

Cheers,Bill

Riding longer distances can be demanding both physically and mentally. My K1200RS weighs about 620 pounds (wet weight). Toss that thing around loaded, 2 up and after 400 miles you're feeling it. Add busy interstates or high traffic zones into the mix, where you absolutely have to focus on getting thru it alive, cell phones, GPS screens, other distractions and all... then add extended periods of riding under busy, hectic traffic conditions 2 up on a fully loaded bike for a couple hundred miles (think: on any interstate highway today) and it is VERY demanding.

On a typical day, most of us have no need to pay such strict attention to... anything. Certainly not for any length of time. And if our attention span wanders during the course of an average day's activities, we aren't going to DIE. On a bike, it can all go way wrong way quick. So not only is there the physical aspect of riding, there is also the mentally fatiguing aspect of having to focus for extended periods of time.

"It is no measure of health, to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society."

"Barnes said older riders should sign up for gym memberships, as well as motorcycle training, since even sedate riding is a very physical activity and riders need to be in shape."

This is something I didn't know. I've never thought of street riding as very physical at all.

Cheers,Bill

Riding longer distances can be demanding both physically and mentally. My K1200RS weighs about 620 pounds (wet weight). Toss that thing around loaded, 2 up and after 400 miles you're feeling it. Add busy interstates or high traffic zones into the mix, where you absolutely have to focus on getting thru it alive, cell phones, GPS screens, other distractions and all... then add extended periods of riding under busy, hectic traffic conditions 2 up on a fully loaded bike for a couple hundred miles (think: on any interstate highway today) and it is VERY demanding.

On a typical day, most of us have no need to pay such strict attention to... anything. Certainly not for any length of time. And if our attention span wanders during the course of an average day's activities, we aren't going to DIE. On a bike, it can all go way wrong way quick. So not only is there the physical aspect of riding, there is also the mentally fatiguing aspect of having to focus for extended periods of time.

I wonder if what it all means is "know your limitations" and ride/drive accordingly?

I saw this at 2008 Vintage Motorcycle Days, old school bus converted to race truck

That's an excellent sentiment, and I agree with it, but if you're going to ride with it in public, you'll need to be ready to back it up!! A good old rule is "Don't let your mouth write checks that your a$$ can't cash .... "!!

I took an MSF advanced rider course about 15 years ago. I gotta say, it was pretty informative and got me a break on my insurance premiums too. The only thing I had a problem with is I have always kept my front brake lever "covered", one or two fingers on it at all times, and the instructor told me this is bad. Something about inadvertently hitting it when you don't want to. Never has happened to me and I still do it. Best part of the day however was watching two guys on Honda VTX's trying to negotiate the cone maze and inside the box. Both were there because of excessive points on their license, and when they said something to the head instructor about the course not being set up for bikes like theirs he hopped on his full dressed Harley and went through it like he was on a moped. Practice does indeed make perfect!

I saw this at 2008 Vintage Motorcycle Days, old school bus converted to race truck

That's an excellent sentiment, and I agree with it, but if you're going to ride with it in public, you'll need to be ready to back it up!! A good old rule is "Don't let your mouth write checks that your a$$ can't cash .... "!!

Lannis

I was having high old time amongst the race folks such as this guy while looking to catch up with Alex (Sohn)

when I spotted this rig and found the carphone sticker on the back window

As soon as you think you might not survive riding street bikes, you should quit doing it, providing you want to go out in some other less violent way.

Who said they had an irrational fear of cars being behind them? Nothing irrational about that.

Traveling on the same roads day after day has it's own benefits.

Spotting the problem driver before he is a problem is key.

Having good reactions is only part of the process. Doing the right thing is the big part.

Keep a cool head while driving is my goal. I sometimes lose it around fools in cages.

Cheers,Bill

PSI wanted to add something. I think the human brain can do some pretty amazing things(provided it's in good working order and not subdued by foreign substances)As an example, I often marvel at what went through my mind a while ago when I found myself in a corner on the Commando which quickly became apparent I had no chance of making it though rubber side down. I went through the options. 1. Lay it down like all good Harley guys do and slide off the road. Nope. 2. Try to make the corner anyway laying it down on the rigid foot pegs that Nortons have, slide on that for while then have it stand up and pitch me over the high side. Nope. Straighten up, binders on hard, run off the road, take my chances there and ride that bitch until she throws me off. Right, this option. All in a fraction of a second. I rode off the road, then fell at under 20 mph broke my center stand, my foot peg and soiled my britches for sure.

I'm of the opinion this is something you can't train for. I put it down to racing and the instincts you develop there. I push younger riders to race if they plan on riding on the street. There is no better training.

Just a thought about the age difference from back then to now. It was about 1965 when electric starters became common on motorcycles. Indian had it in 1915, but not common. If the big bikes of today had to be kick started by middle age riders, I believe fewer of them would ride or the bikes would be smaller displacements.

We've had about four fatalities here in the last several years. One was a kid on a dirt bike, two were Harley riders taking a turn too fast and plowed into a pickup and the most recent was a sport bike rider doing way over 100 who had a car pull out in front of him. I think only the Harley riders were over 50.

This doesn't match the stats in the article. Considering that probably 80% of the riders here are on Harleys and over 50, our stats are skewed toward the younger riders.

It's likely a local phenomenon.

I wonder if anyone has stats on classic bike riders.......that would be of far more interest to us. I have a feeling that riders of classic British iron have fewer accidents and fewer fatalities than the general motorcycling population....just a guess.

I'm not the same rider now at 70 that I was at 30 years old...But I still ride an Italian sport bike and even go fast at times. Most all older riders I see are on loaded touring bikes or Harleys.. Most bikes crashes here are at crowded intersections or single bike crashes ....The former usually a fault of a car, the later the rider's fault..

Quote

I wonder if anyone has stats on classic bike riders.......that would be of far more interest to us. I have a feeling that riders of classic British iron have fewer accidents and fewer fatalities than the general motorcycling population....just a guess.

Generally speaking, from my observations, classic bikes are ridden less in better weather by older riders...it is unusual to see a Brit Bike on the road here in western NY state..

Yes, that's true, I ride my British bikes less than my daily transportation bike, which is a Honda 650. My Honda is a fair bit faster than my 850 Commando. I suppose it could be called a high powered bike. I do ride it faster than my Britibikes. I'm trying to be more kind to them so I can make them last longer. The Honda simply doesn't care how I ride it. It will outlast me by many years.

So, if I conducted a study, it would be something like this. What are the stats on riders of classic bikes, who also own and ride modern motorcycles. I think this would include most of the members here.

My guess is that people like this are more skilled in riding, but also more skilled in a lot of other areas such as motorcycle maintenance which would likely contribute to their basic safety while riding.

it vibrates more or less like a twin with a plug wire missing, except it has unbelievable torque. it has 160 psi compression on a piston as big as one from an 883 sportster. the spark was overadvanced when i started messing with it and it would slam back against my foot like a pick handle. it starts easily if i get the piston position correct, but i'm still figuring out where that is.

the smoothest bike i ever rode was a cagiva 900, back when they couldn't say "ducati." i traded my morgo with a friend for a short trip across the texas panhandle, and didn't think a whole lot about vibration. then i got back on the T120 and was horrified at how thick the grips had grown.